We used an etching process to control the line-width of screen printed Ag paste patterns. Ag paste was printed on anodized Al substrate to produce a high power LED. In general, Ag paste spreads or diffuses on anodized Al substrate in the process of screen printing; therefore, the line-width of the printed Ag paste pattern increases in contrast with the ideal line-width of the pattern. Smudges of Ag paste on anodized Al substrate were removed by neutral etching process without surface damage of the anodized Al substrate. Accordingly, the line-width of the printed Ag paste pattern was controlled as close as possible to the ideal line-width. When the etched Ag paste pattern was used as a seed layer for electroless Ni plating, the line width of the plated Ni film was similar to the line-width of the etched Ag paste pattern. Finally, in pattern formation by Ag paste screen printing, we found that the accuracy of the line-width of the pattern can be effectively improved by using an etching process before electroless Ni plating.

• 이연승(한밭대학교 정보통신공학과) | Youn-Seoung Lee (Department of Information and Communication Engineering, Hanbat National University, Daejeon 34158, Republic of Korea)
• 나사균(한밭대학교 신소재공학과) | Sa-Kyun Rha (Department of Advanced Materials Engineering, Hanbat National University, Daejeon 34158, Republic of Korea) Corresponding author